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Soulmate is a
page turner, a brilliant, witty, sardonic novel that worked on so many
intriguing levels. First, it entices you with a whole new look at Hollywood and
its inner workings... one that will have you looking at films like you never did
before. Then, of course, there's the love story--as untraditional and unexpected
as you will find.. but truly believable and fascinating as it takes you into the
underbelly (sorry for the pun) of LA's lap-dancing strip clubs. This is the
compelling story of two souls whose love is forged in this strange, dimly lit
world. It follows their inner struggles and fears as they attempt to bring their
love into the light and lives of their daytime existence. The characters are
extremely well conceived, and you cannot help but get drawn into the emotional
roller coaster of their journey.

Soulmate is
also, for me, a double entendre for how Hollywood itself becomes an
irresistible soulmate and
mistress of the actors, writers, distributors, filmmakers, and others who get
obsessed with it. The portrayal of LA and the culture of narcissism is
especially sharp and laugh out loud funny. The shower scene with the "nuclear
hair bomb" (I don't want to spoil it so no more need be said) was hilarious.
What really surprised me was how the book resonated with me after reading it. It
had an uncanny way of bringing in surprising--and sometimes
mind-blowing--historical background about our culture. It may also get you
thinking in new ways about relationships, beauty, aging, and love. Thanks D.L.
Lowell for your fresh voice and a wonderfully written and well-crafted novel.
I'm looking forward to your next work.
More about the reviewer:

Donald Altman, M.A., LPC is former Vice-President, The Center for Mindful Eating -
TCME.Org. See him on AM Northwest's morning show
at http://www.TheJoyCompass.com

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The New Book Review is blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've read. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by genre, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the search engine handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.